


New World

by Rhuckleberry



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: 100 au, Aged-Up Character(s), F/F, F/M, I don't really know where this one is going yet tbh, Rilaya, a lot of other ships coming up probably, lucaya - Freeform, probably violence at some point, slightly darker than what I usually write, various points of view
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-12
Updated: 2015-06-12
Packaged: 2018-04-04 01:43:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4121617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhuckleberry/pseuds/Rhuckleberry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A 100 AU fic in which there is: Romantic Rilaya with Lucaya endgame (most likely, but I'm flexible), a Josh Mathews who isn’t a Mathews, Farkle as a druglord (assisted by his business partner Smackle), Zay Babineaux the Information Broker, an aged-up Auggie Mathews who was never meant for prison and also a Lucas Friar with a long time crush on a certain Ms. Maya Penelope Hart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New World

“Then it is all settled. The 100 will be set to go down to earth-“

 

“No.”

 

The room went silent, each member of the council turning to the small woman that spoke slowly, all eyes settling on her firm expression. Topanga Mathew’s stood up, bringing herself up to her full height, and looked around the council table with firm eyes, staring down each member steadily.

 

“You can’t do this. They are human beings not lab rats!” Topanga snaps and the Chancellor raises a delicate eyebrow, her dark eyes flicking over Topanga critically. Topanga looks across the table for help, stares the one man who should agree with her in the eyes, but Stuart Minkus merely raises a brow, calm as anything and Topanga feels like she’s been slapped.

 

“They are juvenile delinquents. They have committed dire crimes against the Ark and on their twentieth birthdays, they will all be floated for their crimes. This,” Evelyn Rand says heavily, pointing a finger at the 100 experiment files lined in front of her. “Is a  _mercy_. If the earth is survivable? Then they will survive. “

 

“And if it is not?” Topanga asks sharply, and Evelyn’s eyes narrow. “You are executing children-“

 

“You will take care to watch what you say Topanga.” Evelyn says evenly and Topanga flinches. “We have been very… _accommodating_  to you but do not think that anyone here has forgotten your crimes. Or that anyone here is at all  _unsure_  of the true reasoning behind your concern…”

 

“That is not the only reason that-“ Topanga starts hotly, but Evelyn raises a hand to stop her, her eyes flashing with impatience.

 

  
“Topanga Mathews, your son will be released with the rest of the teens. He gets no special treatment for being your son. If anything…it is his downfall.”

—————————————–

“Do you understand what you have to do?” Rebel asks casually, fingers turning over the weapon in his hands like it’s a toy. She watches it blankly, feeling her fear sharp and rushing together with the adrenaline in her veins but not wanting to show it, not wanting to show any signs of weakness here. She licks her lips.

 

“Yes.” Riley says definitively. She looks up into Rebels eyes, looks at him determinedly as he hands the gun to her. She tucks the weapon into the holster of her guard uniform, tries to ignore how her hands are shaking.

 

“You do want to see your brother, right?” Rebel asks, and his lips are curled at the end of the question in amusement and it’s cruel even though she’s quite sure it’s not intended to be.

 

Riley hasn’t seen her brother in two years. Of course she wants to see him.

 

But instead of admitting that, instead of admitting that weakness in front of the henchmen of the man that bribed her into doing this, Riley just twists her lips, pulls the Guard Uniform hat down far enough onto her head so that the brim will conceal her eyes. After she’s sure everything is in place she takes a deep breath, looks him directly in the eye once more, maybe for the last time.

 

“We’re not friends, Rebel. You don’t get to talk to me about my brother.”

—————————————————-

Auggie Mathews has been alone for 91 days, 8 hours, and 35 minutes by the time he sees another human being.

 

It is not a pleasant experience.

 

“Let go of me!” Auggie shouts, pulling fiercely against the iron tight grip on his arm, but the man just yanks harder and Auggie gasps from the pain. He is not alone, it seems like every kid in the cell block is being dragged out of their beds, pulled and pushed into formation by rough guards to who knows where. Auggie spots Farkle Minkus a few feet in front of him, holding a calm hand out in a ‘stop’ gesture to the guard that tries to jostle him, before confidently stepping out of his cell without prompting. He remembers Riley telling him about Farkle after school one day. Well, on a day after Riley had gone to school. Auggie himself had never gotten the opportunity to even enter the institution but even  _he_  knew about Farkle Minkus, the boy genius son of Councilman Stuart Minkus who invented the drug SUGAR. Apparently, Farkle sold the drug to youth of his generation for trades of things like mechanical parts and textbooks. Everyone knew what Farkle was doing, at least that’s what Riley thought, but somehow Farkle didn’t get caught for his actions until he was sixteen. Auggie thought that this had absolutely nothing to do with oversight and everything to do with corruption.  Farkle was a  _Minkus_.

 

Nobody wanted to stand against the Minkuses.

 

And at that thought Auggie feels some of the panic in his heart loosen because Farkle Minkus wouldn’t be Floated, and he especially wouldn’t Floated early. He had another three years left on his sentence.

 

So that must mean they’re not being Floated.

 

Right?

 

Farkle catches Auggie’s eye just as a guard pushes Auggie from behind, and Auggie feels fear spike through him as the boy smiles at him. Farkle cocks his head in bewilderment just as another guard tries to push him forward. He rolls his eyes and moves forward and Farkle doesn’t get far before his business partner Smackle joins him at his side, smiling at Farkle as if this is just any other day, as if they’re not terrified, because they probably aren’t. Both Farkle and Smackle have immunity; their fathers would not let them get Floated until they’re of age. Heck, Auggie bets that when Minkus becomes Chancellor both of them will get out of here with little more than a slap on the wrist while Auggie-

 

Well.

 

Auggie stumbles forward a bit more, still being pushed by behind and being elbowed by different inmates, when he is almost run over by a lanky dark-skinned boy who cuts through the crowd like it’s nothing to pat a stoic brunette hard on the shoulder.

 

“Friar, my man, long time no see!” He says brightly and ‘Friar’ just furrows his brows at him, looks at him like he’s insane which he very well might be. Friar leans in close to the dark skinned boy to speak but Auggie’s not far behind, he can still hear them.

 

“Zay, we’re in solitary, we’re being herded like sheep, and we’re probably going to be Floated. Everybody here is terrified.  _Why are you smiling_? Do you want someone to punch you in the face? Because if you do, this time, I’m not stopping them.” ‘Friar’ hisses, and ‘Zay’ just grins more brightly.

 

“Because word travels, Lucas.” Zay says brightly, and Lucas looks bewildered, and as if he’s actually considering decking his friend himself, just to see if it’ll snap some sense into him. “And I follow it. We’re not dying today.”

 

“What does that mean?” Lucas demands as they hurry their steps. They travel far enough that all Auggie can see of them is Zay’s smug smirk and the back of Lucas’ head.  All Auggie hears now is murmurs of inmates and insults being thrown at guards and people crying out when they’re pushed or shoved forward. The thickness of the moving crowd swallows Auggie up and all he sees are faces that his sister identified in yearbooks and told him stories about. To his left he catches a glance of Darby Lewis, a SUGAR addict and suppler, of Yogi Jabonero, cyber activist charged with treason, of Sarah Johnson,  a thief that was able to steal extra rations from the Ark for two years before she was brought to justice.

 

And Auggie’s breath quickens as he dips his head and tries to look smaller than he already is, tries not to look anybody in the eye. Because Auggie’s fourteen and has never even  _lied_  to anybody in the entirety of his life. He doesn’t  _belong_  here.

 

The pushing and shoving brings Auggie passed countless cells, all the same, all grey and bared and cold to even glance at, but Auggie stumbles at the sight of one, covered in lead drawings of trees and bodies of water and clouds. Things that Auggie has only ever seen in textbooks and one other place-

 

And Auggie catches sight of her blonde hair, sees the back of his almost-sister through the crowd, and his heart jumps into his throat. Maya looks different. Older than when he saw her last, but that’s to be expected. What’s not to be expected is how much harder she looks, how much more fierce.

 

Maya is pushed through a turn, stumbling around a corner and out of sight with the rest of the crowd and Auggie’s heart sinks. Auggie wants to get to her more than anything else, wants to make his way to that one piece of familiarity, and he goes to do just that when his wrist is suddenly grabbed from behind, and he is yanked out of the crowd. Auggie is pulled into a small alcove, and it’s dark and no one can see him here (if this person were to maul him or kill him, oh god). And Auggie has a moment of pure unadulterated terror before he turns and recognizes the person who pulled him, blinks in surprise at the familiar face. 

 

“Mom?” He asks in confusion, and Topanga Mathews smiles weakly, puts her hands gently around his face. 

 

“Auggie, baby, listen to me,” Topanga says hastily, and Auggie’s brows furrow. “I love you so much. You know that right? That I love you more than anything?” 

 

Topanga’s voice is oddly frail and Auggie feels dread drop his stomach like dead weight. 

 

“Mom, what’s going on?” Auggie asks quickly, his eyes widening in fear. “Where are we going? Are we being Floated? Am  _I_  being Floated?” And the possibility didn’t feel real until now, until he was here possibly seeing his Mom for the last time. 

_Auggie didn’t want to die._  

 

“Mom, I’m too young, you know that!  _They know_  that! I’ve got six years left-“ Auggie begs, and he can feel hot liquid pooling in his eyes and before he knows it his mother’s arms are around him, holding him tighter than ever before. 

 

“Auggie you have to be strong for me.” Topanga says firmly into his ear, and Auggie reaches his hands up to grip the sides of her shirt tightly, trying to hold her here, keep her with him because he hasn’t seen his mother in 91 days, 8 hours, and 45 minutes and he doesn’t want her to leave again. He breathes in the smell of her soap as panic rises in him from his the tips of his toes up to the ends of his hair, tries desperately not to cry because he’s among criminals, people who would eat him for dinner and spit him out if they saw the tear tracks on his cheeks. “You have to stick with Maya. She’ll take care of you if anything happens, and eat what Minkus Jr eats okay? That boy won’t let himself die.” 

 

“Mom, what are you talking about?” Auggie asks as he pulls back slightly and Topanga opens her mouth to explain, looking pained as she grimaces, but then a guard is pulling hard on Auggie’s arm, making him yelp. 

 

“Hey!” Topanga yells, and in seconds she has her credentials out in her hand, a small flip wallet that carries the stamp of a councilman. “This is my son, and I want to speak with him-“ 

 

“Yeah, sorry Councilwoman Mathews’, that’s not happening. No special treatment but…I’ll walk slow for you.” The guard says without hesitation, his tone becoming just a touch softer at the end. And Auggie is being pulled away through the now almost empty hall, the entirety of the crowd now around that corner, that corner that Maya turned past, that corner that Farkle turned past. Topanga follows him though, her hand over his and Auggie isn’t crying but he wants to and he knows that the tears in his eyes are shining brighter than anything in this bleak prison, than the greys and blacks and stone. Auggie tightens his hand on his mothers. 

 

“Mom, I’m scared.” Auggie confesses as he is dragged forward. The guard pays him no mind, they’re almost to the corner and walking at a steady medium pace. Topanga brings a hand to his face and Auggie stumbles just to lean into the touch, to hold onto that. 

 

“Auggie.” Topanga says firmly, and the frailty is gone, replace by calm waters and surety as they approach the corner. The guard stops there and before Auggie can turn his head to see what’s around the bend, his Mom has brought her other hand to his face, cradling his head in her hands, her fingers pressing gently into his scalp. “I promise you it will be okay.” 

 

And Auggie almost laughs because it’s better than crying, feels his fear pulse through him and whispers, “ _What_  will be okay?” 

 

But before he can get an answer he is yanked from his mother by two guards and pushed around the corner. He has exactly a second to examine the entrance of the space shuttle before he is shoved inside, the door locked behind him swiftly with a whoosh that Auggie can hear his mother’s shouts over. Auggie looks at the cold metal of the door (grey, always grey) and feels his heart sink because while he may not be getting Floated, spending his last moments with a bunch of strangers doesn’t sound like the way he wants to go either.

 

———————————————

 

Where was he? Maya felt panic welling in her as she scanned the room, her eyes searching for a short head of curly brown hair that she couldn’t seem to find. She would try and push through the crowd but every time someone so much as breathed out of line, they had a guard pushing them into a seat and buckled in, and Maya was already short in stature, she would  _never_  find Auggie if her center of gravity got any closer to the ground. Maya pursed her lips and squinted at the masses of people in front of her, watching as each delinquent was assigned a seat one by one and it was almost her turn but Auggie- 

 

Maya’s thoughts come to an abrupt halt when she feels the back of knuckles brush over her bum, the touch lingering and purposeful and- 

 

“You  _brush_  against me again and I’ll rip your arm off.” Maya says sharply to the guy behind her, and she glares darkly to make sure there is no question to whether or not she’s bluffing. The kid (and his disgusting, groping hands) takes an immediate step back from her, eyes wide. Maya hears a snort from somewhere to her side. She follows the sound to find a tall dark haired boy looking her way, glancing between her and the groper in amusement. Her eyes narrow slightly as she side-eyes him, but the guy only looks more amused by that. Maya feels her irritation heighten. 

 

“I’m sorry, do you have something to say?” “Nope, nope, nothing at all.” The guy says around the curl of his smile and Maya’s eyes narrow further but she  _hasn’t got time for this_. She scans the crowd for Auggie again, resisting the urge to life herself up on her tip toes. “My names Josh by the way.” 

 

“I really don’t care.” Maya says sharply, because the guy’s cute sure but Auggie is a fourteen year old embodiment of innocence who is probably scared and alone- 

 

“Maya!”  

 

The word is hissed softly to avoid the attention of the guards, and Maya’s head whips around at the sound of it, heart lifting with hope. She sees Auggie across the room from her, stumbling towards her as fast as his feet can take him and he looks older, god. He looks so much older than when she last saw him. Maya rushes forward to meet him halfway, reaches for him and pulls him into her arms as she backs them back into their place in formation. Her eyes shift to each guard in the room to make sure they weren’t seen. Four guards, three men, one woman, all with their backs turned. She relaxes, loosens her arms around Auggie’s shoulder and damn. The kids almost as tall as her now. Just like Riley when she was his age. 

 

Maya swallows hard at the thought of Riley, looks over Auggie’s face to distract herself, checks his arms from bruises from the guards. 

 

“You okay kid?” Maya breathes once she’s satisfied, voice hushed, and Auggie smiles weakly at her.  

 

“Better now that I’m with you.” He whispers and Maya’s heart aches. Auggie was never meant to be in here. Her, well she deserved it. At least she did something  _worthy_  of being a crime but Auggie, all Auggie ever did was survive against all the odds lined up against him. He lived underneath floorboards, never left his home, ate what scraps his parents could find to share out for him. He had barely even lived a life but whenever Maya saw Auggie back then he was always smiling, always cheerful and curious and loving. He was pure, a bright light in this world who had been dealt a shitty card, and now all he has is  _Maya_. 

 

How much worse could the poor kid’s life  _get_.  

 

“Listen to me Auggie, I’m going to keep you safe okay?” Maya whispers back to him, her hands cradling his face and Auggie grabs hold of both her wrists gently and nods.

 

“Auggie?” The Groper asks, and Maya would swing and punch him in the face if a guard hadn’t just turned in their direction. The Groper may be a Groper but he’s not worth her getting tazed. “What kind of name is that?”

 

And Maya opens her mouth to tell him that it’s none of his business but before she can even get a word out someone else is speaking.

 

“It’s short for August.”

 

Maya freezes, looks over to her left to see the curiously amused face of Zay Babineaux, The Information Broker. Zay smiles at her brightly and Maya doesn’t quite know what to do. Because nobody  _knows_ aboutthat. Nobody but her and Topanga and Cory and Riley, because nobody even knew that Auggie  _existed_  but them up until a few years ago. And sure people heard about The Only Brother in Space. Sure there were rumors of the reason behind Chancellor Mathews’ sudden demotion but nobody  _knew_  anything about Auggie for sure, things like his name or what he looked like. But Zay Babineaux had almost caved in their government system with nothing but well timed gossip, almost blackmailed the whole council into complacency, and  _would have_  if it wasn’t for Topanga. So Maya does not freeze because she’s scared of Zay Babineaux. He can’t hurt  _her_. But she stills because she’s cautious. One wrong move and-

 

“August Mathews, no?” Zay says and Maya closes her eyes in slow dread, feels Auggie curling in on himself. She moves her hands from his head to his shoulders and squeezes gently.

 

Zay could make things very, very hard for Auggie.

 

Being the ex-Chanceller’s son was not a very popular label in prison. After all, Topanga had put most of these people behind bars herself.

 

“Well, would you look at that Lucas?” Zay asks, and the boy beside him sighs and shakes his head, but does nothing to stop him. “We have Ark Royalty in our midst! The  _Prince_  is here!”

 

“Hey! You! Back in formation!” A guard yells to Zay, but Zay just grins.

 

“Sure will, Jonathan Potter, father of two, guard for six years, taker of extra rations, lover of…” Zay raises a brow and smiles slyly. “ _Not_  women. Have you told your wife yet?”

 

Jonathan Potter hesitates. Zay grins.

 

“Shall I?” He asks, and that’s all it takes. Jonathan Potter turns his back and leaves Zay alone because there is no doubt that he can do something like that, even from inside this shuttle. Not after what he did to the council. Zay turns back to Maya and Auggie and looks between them both for a moment. He leans down towards Auggie and Maya doesn’t know whether to deck him or not because  _he could tell this whole shuttle about Auggie if he wanted to_. She stays very still. “Listen, kid. I’ve got nothing against you. But your mother put me in the slammer for trying to make the world a better place. You see why a guy might hold a grudge over that?”

 

Auggie says nothing, just stares at Zay as the guy starts listing things off his fingers.

 

“More rations for bigger families, the elimination of corruption, shared knowledge between the public and the council, I mean?” Zay shrugs and frowns in a mock of confusion. “Sounds great right?”

 

Auggie says nothing. Zay smiles and nudges him with an elbow.

 

“Right, kid?” Zay asks lowly, and before he can even breathe another word Maya’s got her hands fisted into the collar of his shirt and his back slammed into the nearest wall. Zay winces through a smile, raises a brow of curiosity. “Maya Penelope Hart. I wondered how long it was going to take you to do that. Your will power to this point was commendable.”

 

“You listen to me Babineaux,” Maya hisses fiercely, digging her knuckles into his collarbone from where she has her fists in his shirt. “ _You will not tell anybody about Auggie._  Or you’ll have to deal with me.”

 

“Oh no, sweetheart that’s not how this works.” Zay says with a smile, and Maya’s eyes narrow. “I don’t respond well to threats. By that I mean I don’t particularly care for them, because most of the time, people are full of shit. So tell me Maya, you ‘dealing with me’? You gonna kill me? Cause that’s what it’ll take. If you just rough me up a little that won’t work because then I’ll just tell the world all about Baby Mathews over there for revenge. If you just bruise me, just stab me, just graze me that won’t work either…because every time you make the choice  _not_   _to_  kill me I’ll just know that you  _can’t_.” Zay smiles, shrugs. “So you see, random acts of violence are not gonna cut it honey. You’re going to have to go all the way and I know you won’t do that. Because you’re not a killer. Just look at you.”

 

And Zay does, looks directly into Maya’s eyes, his face relaxing from its smile for the first time.

 

“You’re terrified.” Zay says lowly, and Maya feels a chill down her body. She swallows hard, and Zay’s lip quirks. “And you won’t even admit it to yourself. Oh, Maya Penelope Hart… have you met my friend Lucas?”

 

And Maya glances at the boy standing slightly off to the side looking completely exasperated, feels something in her shift as his green eyes lock with hers. Lucas seems to be completely uninterested with the precedings, but Maya can see from his stance that he is ready to step in, pull Maya off of Zay, take her down if need be. Maya breathes shallowly and cocks her head.

 

“You mean your dog?” Maya snaps and Zay’s grin widens. She hears Lucas sigh deeply behind her, and tries not to let that irk her. “Nope, never seen him before.”

 

“Shame. He knows  _you_. And I also think you two would get along extremely well. You balance each other out. You see, while you  _aren’t_  a killer…” Zay leaves the sentence unfinished and Maya feels herself stiffen. She glances back at Lucas again to see the boy’s face carefully blank, eyes set on her.

 

“Maya…” Auggie whispers from her side and that’s all it takes. Maya let’s go of Zay and is only slightly satisfied to see him slide down the wall somewhat. Zay smiles and begins to brush the wrinkles out of his shirt.

 

Maya grits her teeth.

 

“I won’t let you hurt him.” Maya says inflexibly and Zay laughs.

 

“Oh,  _I_  wouldn’t be the one hurting him! I’m like you Maya. Not a killer, or a fighter, really. I’m a man of words. I like to talk it out.” Zay says and Maya’s brow furrows.

 

“Are you insane?” She asks with only part sarcasm. Zay cocks his head.

 

“Well, I have been in solitary for four years…” Zay mutters as he shifts his jaw in thought and Maya doesn’t know what to say to that. She’s been in solitary for three, knows how it feels to stare at grey walls for days with nothing but the company of your own voice. Zay smiles. “Can you blame me if I am?”

 

“What. Do. You. Want?” Maya asks slowly, eyes hard.

 

Zay doesn’t stop smiling as he backs away from them leisurely. He shrugs as if this is a casual conversation, and says, “I don’t know yet. But when I do, you’ll be the first to know.”

 

Zay stops by Lucas’ side, allows a guard to take his name, serial number, and clip some type of sensor onto his wrist, with nothing but pleasantries. Maya turns away from him to put her arm around Auggie and wait for their turn, trying to keep her breathing under control and her fear off her face.

 

“Maya Hart.”

 

Maya looks over to the guy from before (Josh was his name) with her lips pressed firmly together in irritation. He raises a brow.

 

“Friend to the Mathews family, daughter of that guard who got Floated …arrested for Treason.” Josh frowns and shrugs. “Interesting resume you have.”

 

“Are you starting something?” Maya asks hostilely, and the guard is two people down from her and working quickly. Josh laughs and shakes his head.

 

“No it’s just I figure you of all people have the most right to be bitter…” Josh says as hi eyes flick from her to Auggie and back. Auggie stiffens against her. “After all Topanga Mathews put you in here  _and_  killed your father. Yet you’re holding onto Junior here like he’s the key to the world…”

 

“Fuck you.” Maya says sharply, and Josh’s eyebrows raise in surprise. “I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

 

Josh’s eyebrows slowly lower as his smile slowly grows. “No. You don’t.”

 

Maya just glares at him until it’s her turn because she wants to hit him just for mentioning her father. Everyone knows about it, after all a guard getting Floated is new worthy, but it’s not true.

 

Topanga didn’t Float her father, he Floated himself.

 

But that’s none of this  _Josh’s_  business.

 

The guard gets to her and she goes first just to show Auggie that it’s okay, but the piercing feeling of the sensor going into her wrist does make her wince. Maya allows the guard to shove her around with only a few scowls, and once she and Auggie are both safely buckled in she grabs the kid’s hand and holds onto it. Auggie himself is pale, eyes big and wide and focused on his lap as he tries to make himself smaller. But he squeezes her hand like a lifeline so Maya just sighs and lets him be because she doesn’t know what to say. Zay Babineaux  _can_  and  _will_  ruin his life if prompted and there is  _nothing she can do to stop that._

 

Zay was right. She’s not a killer.

 

Maya blinks at a prickling on the back of her neck, looks up to see Lucas, looking at her still. But his eyes are no longer blank. In fact they’re just the opposite, filled to the brim with something that Maya can’t quite put her finger on, and when Maya looks right back at him Lucas doesn’t glance away. He just shifts his jaw in consideration for a moment before moving his fingers gracefully in short movements and Maya’s eyes gravitate to the gestures immediately, understand them suddenly.

 

Sign language.

 

_I’m sorry about him. Your kid will be okay. I’ll make sure._

And before Maya can even completely comprehend that, Lucas has turned from her, settling stoically into his seat. Maya watches him for a long moment, going over what just happened in her head.

 

Maybe she  _can_  do something.

————————————————

Sometimes Lucas wishes that he never met Zay.

 

He loves him like a brother. He’d protect him from anything.

 

But sometimes he hates him a little bit.

 

“Why would you say that stuff to her?” Lucas asks, barely moving his lips. Zay grins.

 

“Insurance.”

 

“You threatened her for insurance?” Lucas asks and Zay nods.

 

“Lucas, if you knew someone was going to hurt me, would you stop them?  Would you protect me?” Zay asks, and Lucas scoffs.

 

“Don’t ask stupid questions.”

 

“Exactly. This is  _me_  protecting us. I don’t fight like you do. I’m not going to punch someone in the face, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to keep you safe in the only way I know how. That means threats. Blackmail. Gossip.” Zay grins, bright. “It’s what I do. It’s New World Luke. Gotta keep us safe.”

 

“ And threatening a ten year old is gonna protect us how?” Lucas says and Zay shakes his head.

 

“It’s not Mathews but what he represents. The son of Topanga Lawrence.” Zay says the words like they taste bitter. They probably do. “The Prince… He could run this whole operation you know?”

 

Lucas looks at the kid, average height and slightly broad around the shoulder, curly hair and freaking freckles. He’s got a button nose. “You’re delusional.”

 

Zay shrugs. “Hey anything could happen. I just want to prepared.”

 

“You sure you don’t want the control?” Lucas says with a raised brow and Zay laughs.

 

“Naw, I leave that to Minkus Jr over there. I’m a behind the scenes kind of guy.”

 

“Speaking of behind the scenes. You know something and still haven’t told me what.” Lucas states bitterly and Zay nods.

 

“Don’t plan to. Enjoy the ride brother. Stare at your girl.” Zay says. Lucas stiffens.

 

“She is not my girl.” He grits out in a whisper and Zay’s lips quirk as he continues scanning the crowd, memorizing each face and putting it to a name in his mental roster.

 

“When you have a crush on a girl for that long? You bet she’s your girl.”

 

“She’s not and she never will be. Not after you told her that I’m a murderer.” Lucas hisses bitterly.

 

Zay looks immediately offended, puts a hand to his heart. “I  _did not_  say that.”

 

“You implied it so heavily that you may as well have.” Lucas whispers as his eyes trail the guards around the room, watching as each in turn as the drift through the room checking everything. Lucas knows they wouldn’t waste a space shuttle just to shoot them all into space to die. He knows this. But where else would they be going?  

 

Zay opens his mouth to dispute that but before he can say a word a hologram of the Chancellor pops up into the middle of the shuttle. The guards all take their places lining the door of the shuttle, all standing at attention in the presence of The Chancellor. Evelyn’s face sputters in and out of existence during the hologram but her voice is perfectly clear. 

 

“Juvenile Delinquents. You, a population of 100, have all been chosen by the council to campaign a new project. This experiment has been labelled ‘New World’, and is vital to the lives of your people. You, the 100, should be honored as you are about to the first human beings to set foot on the earth in over one hundred years.” 

 

And that is all The Chancellor gets out before chaos ensues.  Not even a moment after the word ‘Earth’ people are desperately trying to unbuckle their seats, yelling to one another and the hologram of the Chancellor in fear. The earth hasn’t been inhabitable in years. It’s a wasteland of radiation and pollution and that’s why humanity left in the first place. It’s not safe. It’s not even livable. And they might all be criminals but they’re not idiots.  

 

They may call this an honor but they all know it’s nothing but the council getting more creative with their execution methods. 

 

“You think this’ll work.” Lucas says to Zay, and it’s not a question. Zay grins. 

 

“Yep. And when it does, we will be  _kings_.” Zay says confidently, nodding to the panicking crowd. “I’ve got something on every single person here.  _Insurance_. Don’t ask how, just know that we should be pretty safe as long as they don’t all band against us.” 

 

“Or if you threaten an actual murderer.” Lucas points out, but Zay just waves the statement off. Lucas rolls his eyes, and catches sight of the Minkus kid, finding both him and Isadora Smackle seeming to be strangely calm. “The Drug Dou is taking this well.” 

 

“Because they’re smart. A hundred years? Something’s got to give. Things can’t be bad for that long.” Zay says easily, and Lucas just blinks at him. 

 

“We’ve been in jail for four years.” Lucas deadpans and Zay laughs as the girl two seats down from them lets out a scream of frustration as she pulls at her buckle. 

 

“Yeah but look where we’re heading?  _Kings_.” Before Zay can say more, the hologram interrupts him again. This time with the sharp sound of a gun. The room jumps in sudden attention, all of them watching the pre-recorded image sputter and cut out abruptly. The guards at the door all seem to check their communication devices at once, but something must be wrong because they just shake them and press buttons uselessly before rushing out of the room in a cluster. 

 

The door lies gaping after them but only a few people seem ready to rush to go for it, but even then they can’t unbuckle their belts. But before anything can get too feral, a guard smoothly re-enters the shuttle and locks the door tightly behind her. 

 

The more rowdy delinquents don’t even have a chance to shout explicates at the guard before girl types in the launch codes and they’re launching off into space, the shuttle jolting as they depart from The Ark, the only home that they’ve ever known. Lucas feels his heart jar and takes a deep long breath, turns to look towards the door of the shuttle but somehow gets distracted by the profile of Maya. Her eyelashes kiss her cheeks as she looks down at the curly head of hair she holds comfortingly under her arm, her blond curls limp but still framing her face. His eyes trace the contours of her face and he feels himself slowly calm much to his surprise.  

 

He’s always been more comfortable looking at Maya Hart from afar, but he never really thought that looking at Maya Hart from afar could make him more comfortable. 

 

Lucas licks his lips and looks away, because it’s been four years and he shouldn’t still be this pathetic.  

 

But he is. 

 

The shuttle’s anti-gravity systems kick in and inmates loose items start floating up. Necklaces are buoyed by chains around necks, hair rises up, and so do feet, but they’re all still buckled in so it doesn’t really have much of an affect. The only one unbuckled is the guard but she seems to be frantically working on it against the shaking of her fingers. Lucas watches her curiously for a moment, nudges Zay so he looks over to her too.  

 

“Well, somebody looks jumpy. What d’you think? Travel anxiety?” Zay asks in slight amusement but before Lucas can answer he’s distracted by a moving body. 

 

A body moving upwards. 

 

Lucas stares at the guy as he floats leisurely up, somehow having undone the buckle. The guy moves his way through the air smoothly, stopping in front of Maya and Auggie to smile in Maya’s direction. 

 

“I like you Maya Hart. You’re a bit of a badass.” He says and Lucas raises both brows in surprise. 

 

He doesn’t think that anybody has dared to flirt with Maya in years. But this guy, Lucas doesn’t even know who this guy is. He can’t know about anything to do with her. He can’t know what he’s in for. 

 

“Hey, how did you do that?” An inmates asks and Lucas’ eyes flick from what’s-his-name to the inmate, a young blonde girl who couldn’t be older than fifteen. She she struggles with the buckle and pouts in the guys direction and the guy opens his mouth to speak.  

 

“Don’t.” Lucas says firmly, and the guy turns to look at him in surprise. Zay just sighs beside him. “Just because you’re willing to die for a joy ride doesn’t mean you should bring everyone else down with you.” 

 

The guy tilts his head, smiles. “So you know me then?” 

 

No. No, Lucas does not. But of course Zay does. 

 

“Joshua Gabriel. Used a tank and a half of oxygen on a spacewalk.” Zay says blandly, and Josh grins. 

 

“That’s me.” 

 

“You sound proud of that.” Lucas says sharply, and Josh raises a brow at him. “Of wasting oxygen that could be the difference between someone living and dying.” 

 

“Whoa, there up-tight!” Josh says lightly as he floats his way over to Lucas’ direction. Lucas raises a brow as Josh settles in front of him and shrugs. “I was just having fun.” 

 

“Is it  _fun_ for you to shorten the lengths of people’s lives?” Lucas asks and Joshua’s expression falters. The blonde inmate has done it though, has unbuckled the belt and is floating overhead, assisting other. Lucas’ lips thin and he glares at Josh. “Their lives? They’re on you.” 

 

“You’re overreacting.” Josh snaps back and it is then that the shuttle jolts and Joshua falls several feet, almost hitting the ground. And Lucas would be smug if it was not for the whole shuttle beginning to shake and speed towards the ground, if it was not for the fact that people were bouncing off the walls like rubber balls, the sounds of screams and breaking bones littering the air. 

 

Sometimes being right is not all it was cracked up to be. 

 

Lucas tries to stay still but at a particularly sharp shake his head snaps back and hits the wall of the shuttle behind his head. He cries out in pain and Zay grabs his arm as if by instinct, and Lucas tries to focus on that instead of the throbbing pain in the back of his skull. The shuttle tremors for a few seconds more before the whole vehicle jolts on impact with the ground, the sound of grinding metal echoing through the shuttle as they skid fast forward a few more feet on the ground, the entire shuttle tilted onto its side so that Lucas feels like he’s buckled to the ceiling.  

 

 The moment the shuttle halts is filled with a short moment of silence followed by a chorus of groans of pain. Lucas himself groans slightly when he feels Zay’s hand gently touch the bump on the back of his head, hears him cluck his tongue. 

 

“You good brother?” Zay asks and Lucas turns to see Zay pretty okay other than a few blossoming bruises on his arms and a gash on his forhead. Lucas nods. 

 

“I’m not dead, so.” Lucas says shortly and Zay smiles. Lucas surveys the room briefly, and his heart drops at the sight of the blonde inmate, on the opposite wall of the shuttle under him, who is still and unmoving, arm twisted at an odd angle. Lucas swallows hard and undoes his buckle with ease, and then Zay’s. They both drop down to the ground with some level of grace, and when Lucas checks to see if Maya’s down as well, he’s not surprised to see that not only is she, but that she’s also helping the Mathews’ kid get down. Maya’s strong, stronger than anybody else that Lucas knows and Lucas wouldn’t be surprised if  _she_ took over this operation instead of the Mathews kid. 

 

“So, you finally going to go after her?” Zay asks and Lucas glares at him. Zay raises his hands in innocence. “Hey, I’m just saying! If we don’t go out those doors and suffocate from radiation in the air then this is a new start. A second chance at life, a second life, and you’ve had a crush on that girl since the third grade. We’re on a new planet, there’s no one here to stop you, she knows you exist now. Don’t you think it’s time for you to make your move?” 

 

Lucas considers it for just a second. 

 

But then Riley Mathews takes off her guard hat, approaches Maya and August Mathews cautiously.  And Auggie runs to her and they embrace, tears running down Riley’s face and Maya looks shocked and in awe, walking up to Riley slowly, touching her to see if she’s real. And Riley has one around Auggie and her other hand on the softness of Maya’s cheek and without even a moment of hesitation she leans in and kisses Maya, soft and tender and heartbreaking, because she hasn’t seen her girlfriend in three years. 

 

Because they’re in love. 

 

Lucas swallows hard and shifts his jaw, can’t bring himself to look away even when the two part and rest their foreheads together, Maya looking completely in shock while Riley just smiles happily, laughing through tears. 

 

“No. I don’t.” Lucas answers Zay and Zay sighs heavily, the air puffing out his cheeks in as he breathes out. 

 

“Damn, bro. I didn’t even see that coming.” Zay mutters and Lucas just shrugs because he did. 

 

Because it always has been Riley and Maya. Why would that change just because the world did? 

**Author's Note:**

> This will be updated as soon as possible but I do tend to get distracted tbh, but it is high on the priority list, I promise you!
> 
> Come visit me if you wanna: http://rangerhuckleberry.tumblr.com/
> 
> Also, comment on what ship you like best for this, I wanna see what people think :)


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